Musical instrument.



No. 767,023. PATENTED AUG. 9, 1904. N. TURTURRO.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 27, 1903. N0 MODEL.

M wi IN E Patented August 9, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NICOLA TURTURRO, OF NEWV YORK, N. Y.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

[5?ECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 767,023, dated Augus 9, 1904.

Application filed January 27, 1903. Serial No. 140,702. (No model.)

T 0 all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, NIO'OLA TURTURRo, a subject of the King of Italy, residing at New York city, county of NewYork, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Musical Instruments, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to stringed instruments of that class having a hollow soundingbody and a neck extending from the body and having a head to which the outer ends of the strings are attached.

The invention aims to provide an improved instrument of this class, and especially an instrument resembling a mandolin in the shape of its body portion and the tone of the instrument, which shall be capable of giving a largely-increased volume of sound while retaining the peculiar tone quality of the mandolin.

A full understanding of the invention can best be given by a detailed description of a preferred form of instrument constructed-in accordance with the invention, and such a description will now be given in connection with the accompanying drawings, showing such a preferred form of instrument.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of the instrument. Fig. 2 is a perspective side View of the instrument. Fig. 3 is a section taken just inside the front or soundingboard of the instrument. Fig. I is an enlarged view of the end of one of the hollow arms of the instrument.

Referring to the drawings,10 represents the hollow sound-body of the instrument. Extending from the sound-body is a neck 1l,preferably provided with cross-frets, as shown, and having at its outer end a head 12,provided with pins to which the strings are fastened and with keys or other suitable means for turning said pins for adjusting the tension of the strings.

The front or sounding-board 13, which is preferably provided with a bridge 14 and is fiat, as usual in mandolins,with the portion below the bridge slightly inclined to the portion above the bridge, preferably has two soundopenings 15 therein near the base .of the neck, and these sound-openings are preferably of oval form, with the major axesof the ovals inclined outwardly in opposite directions, as shown in Fig. 1, each opening extending partially beneath the strings.

The back of the body 10 is preferably formed convex or dome shape, as shown, and the body is preferably provided with a base-piece or pedestal 16 of triangular shape adapted to support the instrument in an upright position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. This base-piece is provided with the usual plate 17, having pins for securing the ends of the strings, and a damper-shield 18 maybe provided, as shown in Fig. 1, as usual in instruments of this class.

Extending from the body portion 10 on either side of the neck 11 are two hollow arms 20, which communicate with the interior of the body portion and are preferably of tapering form, as shown. Openings 21 are provided in the arms 20, near the ends thereof, and preferably at the extreme ends of the arms, as shown. I find that by providing these openings a considerable increase in the volume of sound produced by the instrument is secured. I also find that by providing two sound-openings in the front or sounding-board of the body portion of the instrument, as shown in Fig. 1, the volume of sound is increased, and I find that while securing such increased volume of sound. by these means the tone of the instrument is not affected. I

Brace-rods 22 are preferably provided extending from the head 12 to the arms 20, and these rods are preferably secured at their inner ends to the head and have their outer ends extending through openings in the sides of the arms 20.

The particular manner of constructing the instrument as above described may be varied; but preferably the inner and outer sides 2 and 3, respectively, of the arms are extended about the side of the dome-shaped body portion, as shown in Fig. 2, the side 2 being extended to or beneath the base of the neck 11 and the outer side, 3, being extended to the pedestal 16. The front walls L of the arms are preferably formed by extensions ofthe front or sounding-board 13. A very strong construction is thus secured with a minimum weight, and a gradual merger of the side walls of the instrument is secured, thus providing an open communication between the interior of the body portion and the interior of the side arms. a

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact construction and form of the instrument as shown for the purpose of illustrating the invention and to which. the foregoing description has been merely confined, but that the invention includes changes and modifications thereof within the claim.

What is claimed is A stringed musical instrument having a hollow body, a neck extending from the body,

N ICOLA TURTURRO.

Witnesses:

A. L. KENT, T. F. KEHOE. 

